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Free After School Games

Your kids can have fun after school or on the weekends without the expense of organized activities. In fact these games will nurture creativity and build social skills. Use toys and objects that you already have, so you won’t have any additional expense. The best part is that these driveway games can be changed and adapted according to the number of kids available and their ages, as well as the time that you have available. While the weather is still nice, I find that homework goes much easier if the kids get a chance to run off some energy before … Continue reading →

Family Reunion Planning: Planning Activities and Games

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Now that you know why you want to have a reunion, whom you are inviting, your budget, and the type of reunion you will have, you can begin planning activities and games to do during the actual reunion. Icebreakers: Icebreakers are a good way to get your relatives mingling. Some ideas include introducing yourself by saying how you got your name, a game of truth-or-dare, without the dare, or a scavenger hunt to find relatives that have something in common with each other (same color eyes, your cousin, same age, same birth month, etc.). Family Memorabilia: I am assuming that … Continue reading →

Sidewalk Chalk Games

Break out the sidewalk chalk and think big! With a yard stick, or a board to use for a straight edge, your kids can use the chalk to draw a giant checkerboard or chess game on the driveway or patio. As a plus, it takes a while to color in all those squares! And it’s a good lesson in measuring and parallel lines. For checkers you can use different colors of paper plates. For chess pieces, you could draw pictures on the plates, or even use stuffed animals. I’m thinking the kids could even be markers themselves and play a … Continue reading →

Active Easter Games for Families to Play Together

When we lived near our families, we never had to worry about occupying the kids on Easter. Between church, a huge egg hunt, and a big meal, the kids were happy all day playing with their cousins. When we are home by ourselves though, it’s more of a challenge to fill up the day. Here’s a very silly variation of tag. Little kids love this game and will run and giggle for a very long time with no arguments. Tie an empty Easter basket around each player’s waist. Give each of the players some plastic eggs. Instruct the players to … Continue reading →

Frugal and Fun Chalk Activities

With the hot days of summer upon us, no more school books and backpacks, our children are spending more and more time outdoors. Since chalk seems to be a summer staple, at least it is around our house, I figured I’d provide you with some creative ideas to keep your children entertained with chalk. There are so many things you can do with chalk, besides just drawing pictures. Games and Sports Use chalk to play games. Draw game boards on the driveway for checkers, or hangman. Checker pieces can be made from light and dark rocks, or for a messier … Continue reading →

Benefits of Shopping the Easter Clearance Deals

Head to your favorite stores the day after to get some great Easter clearance deals. The bargains are so good that I know one mom who puts off the Easter baskets and the egg hunts until after Easter, just so she doesn’t have to pay full price. Smart lady. Many stores start there Easter clearance on Monday, the day after Easter, with bargains from 50 to 90 percent off. Don’t wait long, though, because these clearance sales, especially for popular stores such as Target, are very popular. Zone in on the candy first, and freeze it for later use. You … Continue reading →

The Sunny Side

If someone told me that I’d be dragging a water table outside for my swimsuit clad kid to play with on March 18th I would have likely thought he or she was still wasted from St. Patrick’s Day. After all, we live in the Frozen Tundra that is northern Wisconsin, where it snows in June. Experiencing 80-degree temps in March is beyond the luck of the Irish; it’s downright dreamy. And by dreamy I mean hello global warming, where have you been all my life? Our neighbor flew to Los Angeles early this morning only to find that the southern … Continue reading →

Skip Counting

My children learn best through hands on activities. I know that is not unique as most learn best naturally and through active play. The trick is finding fun ways to teach a child basic lessons. While, I am not a fan of turning education into entertainment, I do not find worksheets and textbooks to be the most effective or necessary all the time. Using games to teach also teaches a child to be creative in their approach to things. In that spirit, I came up with fun ways to teach skip counting. Skip to my Two’s: In this activity your … Continue reading →

Learning through Hopscotch

Learning is best done without a textbook. Sometimes we have to play to learn. Hopscotch is a game that can be adapted for educational purposes. This is especially helpful for very active kiddos who cannot sit without squirming in their seats. However, any child will love to hop to learn. How to make my hopscotch play area: Traditionally, hopscotch was drawn by kids with sidewalk chalk. That is still one of the best ways since it is inexpensive and no need to worry about moving it when it’s time to go in or someone is pulling in your driveway. In … Continue reading →

Surviving the Summer with a Preschooler

I love my preschooler with an indescribable passion. However, as much as I cherish each and every second we are together, I also embrace the times when she is able to keep herself occupied long enough for me to get at least one task done without interruption. Those moments are relatively scarce, especially during the summer months when the weather is nice and we spend much of the day outside. Still, there are ways to secure a few moments of peace, provided you plan ahead. The following are some of my preschooler’s favorite outdoor activities that don’t require a ton … Continue reading →